(sigh) Another frustrating weigh in on Saturday. I knew the scale was not going to be my friend. It practically growled at me when I walked in the door. I’d made a decision, beforehand, that I was not going to get weighed. My tighter clothing told me it was not going to be pretty. I decided I was going to skip the scale and just go to the Weight Watchers meeting only. Once, I got there, I guess I lost my sanity for a moment because I hopped up on the scale. I weighed 239 pounds, which was a 2.6 pound increase from the week before. Fortunately, I haven’t gained every week. As a matter of fact, I’ve been on more of a rollercoaster. Gain 3 pounds one week, lose 1 pound the following week, then gain 2 pounds the next week, then lost 1…. you get the picture. I’m still 64 pounds lighter than my maximum of 303 pounds, but at one point I was 90 pounds lighter. I weighed 213.
One of the most frustrating effects of meds is the weight gain. Mine shot up like a rocket. Was it worth it? I’d say yes. At 303 pounds I could have died of a heart attack, but at least I had something to live for. Before the meds I was at a lower weight, but was living a life not worth living.
If you are just beginning to receive treatment for a mood disorder. Don’t worry too much. Yes, it’s true that most people gain weight after getting on the meds, however, my gain was not typical. I don’t know of anyone, that I’m aware of, who gained as much as I did.
The good thing is that I didn’t beat myself up over it. I shrugged my shoulders and said, “I can live with that. I thought it was going to be much worse.” (I had one week that I actually gained 6 pounds.)
So another week has begun and it’s time, once again, to get serious about eating healthier foods and getting in some exercise. I’ll let you know next week how it goes.
